Web printing machine



Dec. 31, 1935. c uicK ET AL 2,026,434

WEB PRINT I'NG MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 v 2 Sheets-Sheet l 1i ig!" 1 I mvzu-rons I) I @M'z QQMLWQ N N ATTY.

Dec. 31, 1935. c G, QUICK ET AL 2,026,434

WEB PRINTING MACHINE Filed May 4, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 W-TNVENTOR$ Patented Dec. 31, 1935 PRINTING MACHINE Cecil George Quick, Eltham, London, and Thomas Richard Bennett, Willesden, London, England, assignors to R. Hoe & 00., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York; Irving Trust Company, permanent trustee Application May 4, 1931, Serial No. 534,814 2 In Great Britain July 7, 1930 10 Claims. (Cl. 101-247) This invention relates to web printing machines and provides means for moving the cylinders of a printing couple relatively to one another into and out of impression contact, and a clutch device for disconnecting the drive of one of the printing cylinders whereby when it is disconnected from its normal drive, it can be rotated independently by means of a hand wheel or the like.

Preferably means are provided for varying the impression pressure, the means for causing the relative movement of the cylinders into and out of impression contact being such that the impression pressure can be regulated without affecting or being affected by the movement of an operating device for effecting the relative movement.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a view taken crosswise of the machine, with the parts shown partly in section and partly broken away;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure l, as seen in the direction of the arrow; and

Figures 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views showing the movable cylinder in and out of impression contact.

A form cylinder is indicated by the numeral I, and an. impression cylinder by the numeral 2, these constituting a printing couple. The cylinder l is secured to a shaft 3, journalled preferably in roller or other anti-friction bearings carried in a bore formed eccentrically in bushings 4 that are rotatably mounted in side frames 5.

Rotatably mounted on the bushings 4, are annular members or plates 6, to which are pivotally connected one of the ends of links I, whose other ends are mounted on crank pins 8, formed on blocks 9, secured to a shaft l0. that is rotatably supported in bearings II and capable of being locked in any desired position by a hand nut l2,

, which is screw threaded on a bolt I2, and the movement of the shaft is limited by a pin l3 on one of the blocks 9, which is adapted to engage abutments formed by cutting away a part of one of the bearings II.

To the shaft I0, is secured a disc l4, having V shaped teeth formed in its periphery, and a pawl I5 is pivotally mounted on an operating hand lever l6, freely mounted on the shaft l0. A pin I1 is provided to support the lever l6 in an out of use position, and the pawl is arranged so that it can be turned from one side of the lever l6, to the other in order to rotate the disc H in one direction or the other.

To the plates 6 are secured bearings IS, on

which are mounted shafts 19, formed with worms 20 in mesh with teeth formed on sectors 2|, secured to flanges on collars 2| that are secured to the bushings 4, the shafts l9 being formed with squared ends for the reception of a tool such 5 as a box wrench.

Rotatably mounted on the shaft 3 is a gear wheel 22, in mesh with a gear wheel on the impression cylinder 2, the gear wheels being driven in any convenient manner from the main drive of the printing machine. The gear wheel 22 is formed with an aperture which is adapted to receive a pin 23, on a clutch member 24, slidably but non-rotatably mounted on the shaft 3, the member being provided with a circumferential 15 groove into which extends a block 25, pivotally mounted on a crank pin 26, that is secured to a flange 21, formed on a spindle 21 towhich an operating hand lever 28 is secured. The friction dragexerted between the block 25 and the walls of the circumferential groove tend to maintain the lever 28 in one extreme position against a stop which is constituted by an abutment in a bearing for the spindle 21'. A pin 29 is carried by the flange 21 that is formed on the spindle 21, and carries the pin 26 on which the block 25 is mounted.

One end of the shaft 3 is provided with a hand wheel 30, by means of which the cylinder I can be rotated by hand when the clutch is disengaged.

The plates on the printing cylinder I are supplied with ink from a drum 3| thro'ugh form rollers 32, 33.

In operation if it 'is desired to change the plates 3 on the cylinder I, the drive to the cylinder is first disconnected by rocking'the hand lever 28, to cause the pins 23 to withdraw from the apertures in the gear wheel 22.

The hand nut l2 being released, the lever I6 is then rocked, whereby the pawl IS in one direction of its movement, engages the V teeth in the disc l4 and drives this latter, and hence the shaft I0, until the pin l3 engages one of the abutments, the pawl riding idly over the disc in the other direction of movement of the lever. The partial rotation of the shaft I0 is transmitted through the links I, to the plates 6 and thus the collars 2| and the bushings 4 are rotated. The printing cylinder I is thereby moved away from the impression cylinder 2, and the form rollers 32 and 33, and can now be rotated independently of the rest of the machine by the hand wheel 30 to effect. for example, the changing of the plates.

When his desired to move the cylinder I into 55 impression contact with the cylinder 2, the pawl position ofthe eccentric withrespecttotheplate I. Thus, the plate being movable between the ilned limits constituted by the pin and abutments, the impression pressure is unaffected by the movement of the cylinder I, into and out of impression contact with the cylinder 2.

It willbeseenthatthepinliandcooperating abutments permit the. shaft II to move through and that in each extreme position of the shaft,theline ofthrustineachofthelinksl, paaes through or substantially through the axis of the shaft. By this means, the shaft II and links tend to remain in their extreme positions automatically although 'as has been set out, the hand nut i2 is provided to lock the shaft in the printing position of the printing cylinder.

In addition to moving the printing cylinder i out of contact with the form rollers 32, 33, the form rollers may themselves be moved out of contact wth the drum ii, in any convenient manner, the out of contact position of the cylinder and rolls being shown in Figure 4.

What we claim is:

1. In a printing machine, a frame, a printing couple comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, bearings for the cylinders, an eccentric device for each bearing of one of the cylinders adapted to move the said cylinder relative to the frame and transversely to the axis of the other cylinder, a member operably connected to each eccentric and limitedly rotatable withrespect thereto, means for separately adjusting each eccentric relative to its connected member to my impression pressure, means for rotating both of said members simultaneously to move the movable cylinder out of impression relation with the other cylinder, a driving gear for the movable cylinder, and a clutch device for'disconnecting the gear fromthe cylinder.

2. In a printing machine, a frame, a printing couple comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, bearings for the cylinders, an eccentric device for eachbearing of one of the cylinders adapted to move the said cylinder relative to the frame and transversely to the axis of the other cylinder, a gear segment on each eccentric device, a member operably connected to each eccentric by a worm rotatably supported on-said member, means for separately adjusting each eccentric relative to its connected member to vary impression pressure, means for rotating both of said members simultaneously to move the movable cylinder out of impression contact with the other cylinder, a driving gear for the movable cylinder, and a clutch device for disconnecting the gear from the cylinder.

'3. In a printing machine, a printing couple comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, bearings rotatably supporting the cylinders, a pair of annular members rotatable about the bearings, a pair of eccentrics operably connected to the annular members and adapted to move one of the cylinders transversely to the axis of the other cylinder, means for separately adjusting each eccentric relatively to one of the said members to vary impression pressure, and means ior moving both annular members simultaneously to move the movable cylinder out of impressim relation with the other cylinder, said last-men-- g tioned means including a manually operablemember freely rotatable on means connected to the annular members, and instrumentalities for operatively engaging the manually operable member with the last-mentioned means.

4. In a printing machine, a printing coupb comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, a driving member for the printing cylinder, bearings rotatably supporting the cylinders, a pair of annular members rotatable about the 15 bearings, a pair of eccentrics operably connected to the annular members and adapted to move one of the cylinders transversely to the axis of the other cylinder, means for separately adjusting each eccentric relatively to one of the annular 20 members to vary impression pressure; means for moving both annular members simultaneously to move the movable cylinders out of impression relation with the other cylinders, and a clutch device for disconnecting the driving member from 25 the printing cylinder.

5. In a printing machine, a printing couple comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, bearings rotatably supporting the cylinders, a pair of annular members rotatable about 30 the bearings, a pair of eccentrics operably connected to the annular members and adapted to move one oi the cylinders transversely to the axis of the other cylinder, a gear segment on each eccentric and a worm rotatably mounted on each annular member whereby when the said members are held in fixed position impression pressure may be adjusted by turning the worms, means for moving both annular members simultaneously to move the movable cylinder out of n impression relation with the other cylinder, said last-mentioned means including a shaft, links connecting said shaft and annular members, a ratchet on said shaft, and a manually operable member having a pawl engaging said ratchet.

6. In a printing machine, a printing couple comprising a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, a driving member for the printing cylinder, bearings rotatably supporting the cylinders, a pair of annular members rotatable about the 50 bearings, a pair of eccentrics operably connected to the annular members and adapted to move the printing cylinder transversely to the axis oi the impression cylinder, 9. gear segment on each eccentric and a worm rotatably mounted on each annular member whereby when the said members are held in fixed position impression pressure may be adjusted by turning the worms, means for moving both annular members simultaneour ly to move the printing cylinder out of impression relation with the impression cylinder, and a clutch device for disconnecting the driving means from the printing cylinder.

7. In a printing machine, a frame having alined apertures formed therein, a printing couple including a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, spaced bearings for each cylinder, spaced eccentric members supporting the bearings for one of the cylinders, each eccentric member being rotatably mounted directly in one g of the said frame apertures, an annular member operably supported by each eccentric member and movable relative thereto, means operably interposed between each eccentric member and annular member for limitedly rotating each ee- 1 centric member relative to its annular member to thereby vary the impression pressure between the cylinders and for locking each eccentric member to its annular member, and means for limitedly rotating eachannular member thereby rotating the eccentric member and the annular members in unison to move one of the cylinders out of impression relation with the other cylinder.

8. In a printing machine, a frame having alined apertures formed therein, a printing couple including a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, spaced bearings for each cylinder, spaced eccentric members supporting the bearings for one of the cylinders, each eccentric member being rotatably mounted directly in one of the said frame apertures, an annular member operably supported by each eccentric member, a worm and segment operably interposed between each eccentric member and annular member for limitedly rotating each eccentric member relative to its annular member for varying the impression pressure between the cylinders and for locking the eccentric member and its rotatable member against relative rotary motion, and means for imparting limited rotation to each annular member thereby limitedly rotating the eccentric member and the annular members in unison to move one of the cylinders out of impression relation with the other cylinder.

9. In a printing machine, a frame having alined apertures formed therein, a printing couple including a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, spaced bearings for each cylinder, spaced eccentric members supporting the bearings for one of the cylinders, each eccentric member being rotatably mounted directly in one of the said frame apertures, an annular member operably supported by each eccentric member, means operably interposed between each eccentric member and its annular member for locking each eccentric member to its annular member and operable to limitedly rotate the eccentric member relative to the annular member to vary the impression pressure between the cylinders, 5 common movable means for limitedly rotating the annular members thereby rotating an annular member and eccentric member as a unit to move one of the cylinders out of impression relation to the other cylinder, and means for locking the 10 said common movable means against movement to thereby lock the cylinders in impression relation.

10. In a printing machine, a frame having alined apertures formed therein, a printing couple 1 including a printing cylinder and an impression cylinder, spaced bearings for each cylinder, spaced eccentric members supporting the bearlugs for one of the cylinders, each eccentric member being rotatably mounted directly in one of go the said frame apertures, an annular member operably supported by each eccentric member, means operably interposed between each eccentric member and its annular member for locking each eccentric member to its annular member 25 and operable to limitedly rotate the eccentric member relative to the annular member to vary the impression pressure between the-cylinders, a common rotatable shaft operably connected to each annular member for limitedly rotating each 30 annular member and its eccentric member as a unit to thereby move one of the cylinders out of impression relation to the other cylinder, bearings for operably supporting the said rotatable shaft, and means for clamping one of the hearings to 35 the shaft to lock the shaft against rotation thereby locking the cylinder in impression relation.

CECIL GEORGE QUICK. THOMAS RICHARD BENNETT. 

